"On some occasions, my family and I had to relocate so I could ensure their safety."

These were among the many sacrifices and precautionary measures the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Journalist of the Year had to take to produce compelling stories.

Erastus Asare Donkor says that being an investigative journalist, especially on the illegal mining canker meant that he had to be vigilant so that he did not lose his life in the process of exposing society's ills.

Speaking on PM Express: Personality Profile, the journalist disclosed that on one occasion, he was accosted by military men, within which time, his life and that of his team flashed before their eyes.

“The whole place was crawling with over 35 fully armed military men. As if they are going to war. They kept coming. They were plenty and angry. Their issue was, why were the members of the task force looking into their things,” he told host, Aisha Ibrahim.

He recounted another instance where he caught on camera, some military men releasing some Chinese nationals who had been apprehended for their involvement in illegal mining. The service men upon noticing they had been recorded, ordered his team to stand down.

The incident, he said, led to an hour-long argument between the security service and his team which degenerated into a scuffle.

On another occasion, Mr Donkor said he was held captive for several hours, during which they [himself and his team] were instructed to strip naked.

However, he mustered courage and told the soldiers it was time to leave.

“We got into the vehicle to leave, but along the line, as the driver tried to move the vehicle, they (soldiers) got into the vehicle and started punching our faces, cracked our windscreen, and broke the mirrors. It was something else and I think that incident will forever ring in my ears.”

Despite the numerous threats, the award-winning journalist says that he does not regret doing his work. Rather, he cherishes every moment as he has created awareness.